Album: Chords – Things We Do For Things

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Migrating between his native land Sweden and the U.S. seems to have done MC/producer Chords some good, as he follows up from his middle-of-the-road debut (The Garden Around The Mansion) with the sparkling new album Things We Do For Things.

It’s amazing to think that an artist from Sweden could craft two of the most West Coast (more specifically California) sounding tracks in a long time. Chords has managed to do this twice during the course of Things We Do For Things; once on the phenomenal opening cut Cynikaliosis, which kicks things off on a high note, and then again later on the vocoder-tastic Strangers In The Night. Those are the two album stand-outs for this reviewer.

There must be some Rasta-fied properties in the water over in Sweden, as Chords very much has shown a fondness for reggae/dancehall over the course of his recorded career, much like his kinfolk Looptroop. That doesn’t stop here, as he delivers a handful of 'dutty' cuts, most notably with Nighttime Come.

He even tries his hand at some Bluesy-style crooning on occasion, while managing to avoid the suckiness that consumed Everlast’s Whitey Ford outings. The relatively short Chill Street Blues goes down decently with its organic sound, however his throaty singing style works best on Blind To The Facts. In doing so he very much provides something for everybody (except maybe the clubs).

In a rare case, there is very little in the way of negative comments I can make about this album, it is simply good music for the soul. The lyrics are intelligent and incisive, while the production is well-crafted and varied (without going overboard), with everything tying nicely together. Overall it is a very likable and entertaining set.

The fact that it lacks a certain intangible quality that puts it over the top would be its only drawback. Add the fact that a Swedish artist has made a decidedly American-sounding album. Chords gets two thumbs up for Things We Do For Things, a massive improvement on his somewhat stale “indie stoner” musings from past efforts. Word to Copenhagen, cop it!

Available through JuJu Records